Eagles of Death Metal Were Vocally Anti-BDS; Concert Hall Probably Targeted Due to Jewish Owners, Pro-Israel Stance

The Bataclan Theatre, designed in 1864 by Charles Duval

The Bataclan Theatre is an historic concert hall that is currently Jewish owned and has played host to a number of pro-Israel events (for more, see below).

The band playing at the time of the attack, the Eagles of Death Metal--an ironically named California garage rock duo that plays with a rotating cast of other musicians--had toured Israel many times and had become known for its opposition to the BDS (boycott, divestment, sanctions) movement. The bass player, Matt McJunkins sent this tweet from the Bataclan stage, shortly before the concert began:

Jesse Hughes and Joshua Homme from the EDM Facebook page 

On Reddit, a fan posted this about an Eagles of Death Metal concert:

What's the most eventful/controversial live performance you've ever seen?

Well, living in Israel I've been to a whole bunch of controversial show with artists being threatened, etc. Most artists ignored it and played their normal set, some added a speech for peace or something, but the most memorable one was easily Eagles of Death Metal, where Jesse Hughes went on an amazing rant against Roger Waters (one of the leaders of the BDS movement among musicians), declaring "Fuck you Roger Waters! Fuck you!". 

Couldn't find the whole thing but the ending of the speech, where he says 'don't give a fuck about what an asshole thinks' (referencing Waters), is here.

From The Tower:

Report: Concert Hall May Have Been Targeted for Jewish Link 

by TheTower.org Staff | 11.13.15 11:51 pm 

In the wake of the terror assault in Paris Friday evening, a leading French news website has suggested that the most deadly location, the Bataclan theater, may have been chosen for its known Jewish and Israel connection. More than 100 people were murdered and scores more injured after gunmen threw explosives, opened fire and subsequently executed hostages in theater as part of a coordinated assault at six different locations in Paris, killing more than 150 people. No group has claimed responsibility, though the AP cited a number of experts suggesting the sophisticated, coordinated attack was most likely conducted by Islamists. 

According to the French newsmagazine Le Point, the theater has been the target of threats for years because of its frequent hosting of Jewish and Israel-focused events. 

According to the report, an interrogation of a member of the “Jaish al-Islam” group in 2011 led to the suspect’s claim that “We had a planned attack against the Bataclan because the owners are Jews.” 

Similarly in December 2008, as seen in the video below, a group of youths wearing kaffiyehs descended upon employees of the theater protesting a planned gala event for the Israeli Border Police. 

According to the report, subsequent Israel-focused events were often accompanied by a flurry of anti-Zionist and anti-Semitic hate-speech online. 

The specific event targeted this evening also had a known Israel connection. The southern-California band, Eagles of Death Metal, performed in Israel this past summer despite public efforts to convince them not to, led by former Pink Floyd member Roger Waters. According to YNet, the band resisted the call vigorously, with guitarist Jesse Hughes claiming to have answered Waters “F– you.”